The Best Business Advice I Ever Received

“The job of a manager,” he said, “is to set the bar high — and then cheer like mad.” – David Ignatius, Washington Post

Betsy Corcoran wrote that this was the best piece of business advice she ever received. It made me think about the valuable business advice I have received over the years.

Here’s some of the best pieces of advice I have received:

Don’t compare yourself to others. I used to think about others’ careers in comparison with mine – they had an easier boss, they were treated special because they were male, they came from a richer family, etc. These were my justification for why I thought they were doing better than I was.

I realized these were my excuses for not stepping into my own power, for taking ownership of my own life & career.

So I try not to compare myself to others. I don’t know their full stories – they might make more than me but are unhappy at home, or they might seem more successful but are struggling with mental health issues. I now compare myself to me – the goals that I set for myself.

Stay ambitious. Don’t settle. I try to always be looking forward for the next challenge. What can I learn from this situation & what can I do about it?

Right now the Canadian economy is slow, so I am developing webinars that can be delivered across the world. It is a new challenge for me – but I am staying ambitious.

Focus on your clients’ needs. As a coach, facilitator and trainer with a computer science background, I can get caught up in the technical details. I need to remind myself that what I am working on is to serve my client - not me!

I have to stay away from my perfectionist side and zero in on what I can do that will alleviate the pain and problems of the people I serve.

There is no perfect time. There is no perfect – there is just now. I tell people that I am a recovering perfectionist. I have to take the leap of faith when I have the 80% solution, because there is never a 100% solution.

I create a good plan and trust that it will help me move forward.

Everyone wears an invisible "I am important" sign. All leaders need to remember the people that they are leading.

Sometimes in my enthusiasm to move ahead I can forget about getting people involved, listening to their concerns, and getting their creative ideas. This is sometimes called my "steamroller" mode.

By remembering that each person needs to feel important. I stop. I include them. I remember their needs. This always makes the project better.

These are some of my favorite pieces of business advice. Please share your favorites in the comments.

Let’s talk! Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com